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Chelmsford wins grant to manage energy costs

CHELMSFORD -- The town has been working to be greener, and will soon have help in doing so.

Chelmsford has been awarded a grant to pay for a new full-time energy manager and has been chosen among only five Massachusetts towns this year for a National Grid energy-efficiency initiative.

Both will help the town in its goal of becoming more environmentally friendly.

Chelmsford was already named a "Green Community" by the state in 2010, a list of Earth-conscious cities and towns that now numbers 123. The designation earns communities funding for projects -- in Chelmsford's case, $187,000 for a rooftop solar energy system at the Parker Middle School.

Last year, the town began an $18 million efficiency program for schools and town buildings that includes adding solar panels to the roof of each school and retrofitting many fixtures and equipment. The town is also considering a program known as energy aggregation, in which the town would seek competitive bids from suppliers for bulk purchase of energy from all Chelmsford residents.

Now the town hopes that an energy manager can help obtain more grants and help oversee those green initiatives.

"They say they save their salaries," Public Works Director Gary Persichetti said of cost savings energy managers attract. "It's a true statement. It does happen."

The state Department of Energy Resources is paying for the energy manager for one year, with a salary of about $50,000.

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Half that amount could be funded for a second year, depending on energy performance.

"We're very enthusiastic about this," Town Manager Paul Cohen said last week when the grant was announced.

After that, the town would only continue staffing the position if it could justify the cost, Cohen said.

The National Grid program, which kicks off next month, includes home energy audits and discounts on efficient features like insulation of LED lights.

Town Meeting has voted to allow the town to issue a request for proposals for consulting services for aggregation, which will include creating a plan for state approval.

All energy users in Chelmsford have been estimated to save more than $1.7 million a year if the plan is approved. Seven communities or regions, including Lowell, participate in energy aggregation services in Massachusetts, according to the Chelmsford Energy Conservation Committee.

In yet another green initiative, the town will soon receive an electric Ford Focus that will be powered by a new charging station outside Town Hall. A Department of Energy Resources grant paid the cost difference between gas and electric models, Cohen said.

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